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Friday, 9 March 2018

Blog Tour: Extract from Spring on The Little Cornish Isles by Phillipa Ashley

I am very excited that it is my stop on the blog tour to celebrate the release of the latest Phillipa Ashley novel and I have an extract from the book to share with you today. I have already posted a review of this book so you can read that here. Here's what it's all about:

Jess has lived at the idyllic flower farm on the Isles of Scilly her whole life, but when her boyfriend Adam leaves without explanation, Jess discovers that even her little slice of Cornish heaven can be lonely.

For the first time in Will’s life, he’s met someone he can’t stop thinking about. But nothing is simple when the woman of your dreams is working for you.

Gaby is running away from painful memories, and where could be more perfect than a remote island off the Cornish coast? But to put the past behind her, she must keep moving … however much she might want to stay.

Nothing is simple, even on paradise. Will love bloom for the residents of the little Cornish Isles?

And thank you so much for stopping by the blog today Phillipa and sharing this extract from Spring on the Little Cornish Isles with us!

February turned to March, the days lengthened and the fields glowed with fresh hues of orange, gold and lemon as new varieties came into bloom. Almost a month had gone by since Adam had flown out on Valentine’s Day and Jess had accepted their split was final, and that he might well be gone for good.

To cheer her up, Maisie had asked her to lunch at their favourite restaurant overlooking Hugh Town’s harbour, so Jess wangled a few hours off to join her friend. They met up outside the clinic on St Mary’s after Maisie’s latest antenatal appointment and hurried to the restaurant under a shared umbrella as it had started to rain. Over a drink, their conversation had all been focused on how ‘Little Sprog’ was. The fact that Mother’s Day was coming up in just over a week’s time, seemed to add to the mood of anticipation of the baby’s birth. He or she was set to appear in August and Jess was delighted to talk about something other than Adam, although she knew the topic couldn’t be put off for long.

‘So, how are you, hun? Heard anything from him?’ Maisie asked once their starters had arrived.

Jess toyed with a prawn in her seafood salad. ‘No, and I don’t expect to … I passed by his place the other day. He must still be paying the rent because his ancient curtains are still up in the windows and his bike was chained up under the lean-to.’ As if he intended to come back for it, thought Jess, laying her fork on the plate.

‘So, no sign of him moving out permanently. I don’t know how he can afford to pay the rent and live somewhere else,’ said Maisie.

Jess knew that her friend was trying to gently hint that Adam might have moved in with someone willing to provide him with a free home. It was tough love from Maisie, but Jess couldn’t be angry. Adam must be living somewhere, and she had to face up to the fact it might not be with parents or mates.

‘I’m sorry for raking it – and him – up again when we’re meant to be having a lovely time. It’s none of my business, but I want you to be happy,’ said Maisie. ‘Bugger, that makes me sound like your mum – and mine.’

‘Well, you may as well get in some practice,’ said Jess and they both laughed.

‘True. Why don’t you have another glass of wine? It’s your day off.’

Maisie ordered a fresh white wine for Jess and a soft drink for herself and they moved on to talk about Patrick’s plans to decorate the spare room of their cottage on Gull Island – or rather Maisie’s reluctance to make any preparations until Little Sprog was almost ready to arrive.

Jess started to tell Maisie about Gaby falling asleep in the shelter and Will going out in his pyjamas to ‘rescue’ her. Everyone at the farm knew about it now and half the island too. Will hadn’t teased Gaby half as much as Jess might have expected, and seemed pissed off when Jess joked about him cracking the whip